PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Bank Employees wants the Government to increase maternity leave from 60 days to 90 days.

The Government, the union said, should ensure that women fully recovered after their delivery, given the multi-tasking that they were subjected to.

“Women today, juggle a full-time and demanding job to supplement the husband’s income to sustain a decent standard of living.

“Then she is a home maker and takes on the full responsibility for the children’s health, growth and development that contributes towards nation-building,” the unions secretary, J. Solomon, said in a statement yesterday.

Malaysia, he said, was lagging behindcompared to neighbouring countries in protecting women’s interest as recommended by the International Labour Organi-sation Convention.

“For example, a working mother in Singapore gets up to 12 months leave to breastfeed and care for her newborn whilst in Cambodia, it is the employers’ obligation to grant one-hour break or two 30-minute break a day and with nursing rooms and day-care centres.

“In Indonesia, employers are to provide a suitable place for breastfeeding mothers to nurse their children during working hours,” he said.

In the statement, Solomon said that working mothers in Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia were eligible for 90 days maternity leave while those in Singapore were eligible for a 16-week paid leave.

Calling for a revamp in the Employment Act, Solomon said the union would be submitting a memorandum to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil next month over the matter.